


Brightside

by orphan_account



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-14 18:44:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7185668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the battle ends, there is nothing but endless fields of blue.</p><p>Alternatively "everything is happy and nothing hurts."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Cosima wakes up to someone playing with her hair.

 

A drowsy smile spreads across her face, breathes out, “Hi.”

 

These last few months, this has been her favorite time of day – the moments just after waking, always with Delphine at her side, reassuring her that she was not a dream that could be taken away. Each day, the fear lessened just a bit, her wonderful reality solidifying itself in her mind. Still, it was a comfort. A comfort she would never tire of.

 

“Good morning, _ma charie_. I was just about to wake you. We need to leave soon.”

 

Cosima groans, inching forward to close the distance between them. Bare skin on bare skin. Legs tangling together under the sheets. “Why?”

 

Briefly, chastely, Delphine dips down to press her lips to Cosima's. “Hopefully, this is the last time we will need to do this.”

 

 _This._ The months of being her own lab rat, using trial and error to work out the finer details of an agonizingly slow, occasionally brutal gene therapy. Preceded by almost a year of deterioration. The idea that it could all be over after today, a final page to this horrible chapter of her life....

 

It may take more time to convince herself that all of this is not a dream. Maybe she's in a coma, and this perfect world is a fantasy she has constructed for herself. It would make more sense than her life finally, mercifully, going well.

 

“When you are given your clean bill of health, what would you like to do?” Delphine inquires, snapping Cosima out of her thoughts.

 

“Hmm...” Cosima snuggles into Delphine's shoulder. “We could always shut ourselves in here for, like, a week. Do a little private celebrating.”

 

Tactfully ignoring the innuendo, “I was wondering if you might like to come with me to France.”

 

Cosima sits up, propping herself up on her elbows. “Seriously? That sounds awesome! Oh my God, we so need to go to San Francisco. Trust me, you'll love it.”

 

Delphine giggles, “We can go wherever you want. But first, we have to go to your appointment. We'll be late as it is.”

 

“I guess we'll just have to shower together. You know, to save time and all.”

 

Delphine glances at the clock on the bedside table, doing a few quick calculations in head. “Hurry,” she urges, mischief in her voice.

 

Cosima does not need to be told twice, grinning madly as she dashes off to the bathroom to start the water. She leans, half in and half out of the shower as the billowing cloud of steam begins to wrap around her. As toned arms wrap themselves around her hips, pulling her back to connect with the body behind her.

 

“Mmm, Dr. Cormier...” Cosima hums as warm lips make their way up her back, “Aren't you worried about being late?”

 

“Not in the slightest,” Delphine whispers into her ear, fingers hooking around Cosima's panties – the only thing she'd worn to bed last night – and unceremoniously pulling them down in a single yank.

 

Cosima turns herself around, taking Delphine's hand in hers and leading her into the warm spray of water.

 

Ducking down, Cosima begins her own ascent, tongue trailing its way up her stomach, following a path that leads her up to Delphine's breasts.

 

Delphine gasps when Cosima catches one of her hardened nipples in her mouth, biting down with just enough force to be felt. She soothes the nub with her tongue, swirling in small circles....

 

Hands are on her shoulders, pushing her until her back connects with the shower wall. Delphine plants her hands on either side of Cosima, allowing no escape as their lips crush together in a kiss hard enough to bruise.

 

Cosima cannot get out from under Delphine, but that does not stop her from snaking her hand down Delphine's back, squeezing her ass for just a moment before continuing around to stroke her thigh, fingers finally finding their way between her lover's legs.

 

“ _J'taime,_ ” Delphine shakily whispers as Cosima's thumb gently brushes her clit.

 

Cosima responds by slipping one finger, then another, into Delphine's center, made wet by anything by the shower head. “I love you, too.”

 

Abruptly, she pulls out, eliciting a pained moan as Cosima turns around to grab a bottle of body wash. “And we're totally going to be late.”

 

“Cosima, no! Y-you cannot do this!”

 

Cosima laughs, pressing a kiss to Delphine's shoulder. “When we get home, I'll finish what I started. Promise.”

 

“You are a _horrible brat_.” Delphine spits out.

 

“Oh, c'mon. I thought you loved me?”

 

Under her breath, almost too quiet to hear of the splashing of water, “you're lucky I do.”

 

“Mmm,” Cosima hums in agreement. “I know.”

 

* * *

 

 

Sarah has seen Helena lurking in shadows, covered in blood, both beaten up and as the one on the attack.

 

None of that prepared her to see Helena wandering through the aisles of a baby supply store.

 

“Will my babies really be this small?” Helena asks, inspecting a box of baby shoes through the little plastic window.

 

“Enjoy it while it lasts,” Sarah advises. “They'll get big faster than you can believe.”

 

She'll never regret anything like she regrets the way she spent Kira's younger years – dropping her off with whoever would take her, disappearing for days, weeks, months. The number of times she returned to a precious little girl who didn't even recognize who she was.

 

She shakes the thoughts out of her mind. She's there for her now. Nothing she can do will change the past.

 

“My babies feel so big inside my stomach. Like giants.”

 

“Yeah, I felt the same about Kira toward the end. Felt like she was crushing me, I couldn't believe how tiny she was when she was born.”

 

Helena returns her attention to the shoes in her hands. “My babies kick so hard, they will have very big feet I think. They will play soccer like Gemma.”

 

“Maybe. You can always wait until they're born to get a lot of this stuff. Kids don't really need shoes at first.”

 

She's speaking to air by the end of her sentence – Helena has gotten distracted. Again.

 

“Look,” all grins as she holds up a pink tulle skirt. “Like princess.”

 

Sarah resists the urge to cringe at the fluffy monstrosity. “Yeah... it's cute.”

 

“My babies will be very spoiled,” Helena decides. “Little princesses, both of them.”

 

“With as many aunties as they're gonna have, I don't think that'll be a problem,” Sarah agrees. With Neolution dismantled, Brightborn along with it, and a cure finally discovered, they've finally gotten the chance to focus their energies on the good things in their lives – like arguing over who gets to babysit. “Do you want to get that for them?”

 

Helena runs her hands over the fabric. Her babies kick inside of her; this, she thinks, means that they like it. “Will need two.”

 

Sarah shifts through the rack of skirts. “Looks like they've got green, purple, and blue as well. Which do you want?”  
  


Helena considers this very carefully, lips pursing in contemplation. She wishes that her babies were already born. That way, she could just ask them what colors they would like.

 

“Or we could just get one of each,” Sarah offers the only option she thinks will get them out of the store before closing.

 

“Yes. One of each is good.”

 

Sarah pulls the skirts from the rack, purposefully selecting a variety of sizes. Hopefully, they'll at least get to wear them for awhile. “Let's get back to the cribs now, yeah? Alison said to get whichever you want.”

 

“I could make crib,” Helena says with confidence.

 

Vaguely, Sarah would like to see this, but considering how unlikely the contraption is to be infant safe, decides not to encourage it. “Yeah, well, you try being the one to turn down a gift from Alison. Besides, you want to spoil those babies, don't you?”

 

“Yes. This is true.”  
  


Helena does not have to inspect the crib offerings for long before deciding that they are all inferior to what she could craft herself. For sestra Alison, though, she supposes that she can settle for one.

 

Being part of a family can be so difficult at times.

 

* * *

 

 

“Quick pinch,” Dr. Roberts warns as she places the IV needle.

 

Delphine's thumb caresses the top of Cosima's hand, the anger from earlier seemingly forgotten. “Do you think you will miss this?”

 

“Yeah,” Cosima scoffs, “I don't know what I'll do without my calling as a human pincushion.”

 

“I'm sure you'll figure something out.”

 

A file is flipped open, interrupting their moment. Bringing the couple back to the business at hand.

 

“How have you been feeling this last week, Cosima?”

 

“I feel great,” Cosima answers with sincerity. “It's weird, I've been sick for so long that I kinda forgot what that was like.” Even the best days during her illness could not match up to how she felt now. She didn't think she would ever tire of simply taking one deep breath after another, not cut off by a pressure in her ribs, or ending in a bloody coughing fit. “Delphine's been monitoring my vitals from home – everything looks great.”

 

Delphine pipes up, shifting into doctor mode, “her lungs sound far clearer than they have in the past. She's even started to put on weight.”

 

“And the cough? How's that been?”

 

“Not bad. Hardly any blood. I can actually walk up a flight of stairs without hacking out a lung.”

 

Dr. Roberts scribbles this down in her file, nodding approvingly. “Any bleeding episodes?”

 

“Nope. None.”

 

Cosima returns the smile the doctor gives her. “Sounds like we're in the home stretch here. We'll know more after your scan, if you ladies are still up for doing it today.”

 

“Are you kidding?” Cosima looks toward Delphine, “We can't wait.”

 

Delphine's hand curls around hers, and Cosima gives it a strong squeeze. A silent promise that, no matter what the tests reveal, they will handle it. Together.

 

* * *

 

Helena sits, stoically watching Donnie as she works her way through a plate of bread.

 

“Donnie Henrick, you are very bad with tools.”

 

“Don't worry, I've got – ”

 

His sentence is interrupted by the crack of wood in his hands, leaving him with two halves of a crib bar.

 

“Okay. Maybe we should have Alison do this part.”

 

Speaking around a mouth of hard bread – sestra Alison insists that she should let it defrost first, but she remains unconvinced, “Crib is not sturdy. I should build. Crib could be attacked by wild boars, and would not fall apart.”

 

“There are no wild boars in this house,” Donnie points out. “Or anywhere around here, for that matter.”

 

“Babies can be very strong. Stronger than you, I think.”

 

Donnie bends over the incomprehensible instructions, trying to work out which piece he broke. “It's fine, we'll just go to the store and get a replacement part. And maybe see if they offer assembly services.”

 

Helena sets down her plate, brushing her hands against the leg of her pants. “Very well. I would like to get more skirts.” Sestra had told her that four was plenty, but if babies grew as quickly as she said they did, she should be safe and get more.

 

“Okay, great. Just... don't tell Alison about this,” he asks, waving the two broken pieces.

 

“Secret is safe with me, Donnie Henrick.”

 

* * *

 

 

Delphine holds the black and white film up to the light of the window, inspecting the set of lungs yet again. She's not a CT technician, but even she can plainly see what the specialist explained to them.

 

“They're beautiful,” Delphine comments as she accepts the glass of wine Cosima offers her. It's still early in the afternoon, but this moment demands to be acknowledged immediately.

 

“Yeah, all that sexy tissue scarring.”

 

“Cosima, what this means...”

 

“No more treatments, no more tests, no more peeing in cups....” Cosima smiles as she sips from her own glass. “No more fear of my impending mortality.”

 

Delphine sets her glass on the granite counter behind her, wrapping her arms around Cosima. The tips of her fingers running up and down her spine. “And,” Cosima adds, “This means we have a trip to plan.”

 

“Didn't you make me a promise earlier... something about finishing what you started?”

 

Cosima looks up at the ceiling, racking her mind. “Hmm... nope, doesn't ring any bells.”

 

“Perhaps I should help you remember, then...” Delphine takes Cosima's chin in her hand, her kiss long and deep.

 

“I... think it's starting to come back to me.”

 

Delphine can't help but giggle at her girlfriend's horrible, maddening antics.

  
Antics that she will have years and years to suffer through.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Felix's loft has hardly changed.

 

The mural covering his walls is the only thing that shows the passage of time, a visual representation of the change the last year has brought. Other than that, it's all of the dark, decaying, and strangely charming space that it has been since Delphine first walked through the doors.

 

It's oddly comforting to her, in a way. Nostalgic. 

 

Cosima's three sisters, lined up on the couch in front of her... they are the absolute opposite of comforting. 

 

"So what's this all about, then?" Sarah asks once they've exhausted all topics of small talk. 

 

In true form, Alison jumps to the worst case scenario. "Is Cosima okay?"

 

"Yes, of course... she's fine. Wonderful, actually. Has she told you about her latest test results?"

 

"'Course she has. What's this  _really_ about?"

 

The purpose of this meeting cannot be avoided any longer - Delphine fears that if Sarah gets any more impatient, she will get it in her mind to whip out a gun. "There's... um... something I would like to show you."

 

Delphine keeps her eyes on the paintings, the chaotic maelstrom of red and black. Thinking of all they've been through, all _she_ has been through. All she and Cosima have been through. Fear, hopelessness, worry. Injury and disease. Death, and the mourning that came along with it. Enough terrible, dark days to fill a lifetime of suffering. If she can handle all of that, and still come out of it with Cosima at her side, then she can surely do this. 

 

Wordlessly, she reaches into her pocket. Pulling out the little velvet box, she pops the lid open and holds it out for the women in front of her to see.

 

"Oh, Delphine, it's  _gorgeous!_ " Alison squeals. 

 

Her cheeks blush pink, smiling at the compliment. "Thank you. I had my mother send it from France... it belonged to my grandmother." 

 

To her surprise, her relationship with Cosima had been a non-issue to her traditionalist parents. Although her father had not reacted quite as... warmly... to the news than her mother had, Delphine suspected that he only needed time to get used to the idea of his daughter marrying a woman. As for her mother, her only compliant was that she had not yet had the honor of meeting her potential daughter-in-law. 

 

"So, what, are you gonna ask us for Cosima's hand or something?" There's amusement in Sarah's voice, but Delphine will gladly take that over outrage. 

 

"No. Not exactly. I... I am  _amazed_ by all of you. Each of you is so different, in  _every_ way. You had no obligation to each other, but you have all made willing sacrifices for the sake of the others. Risked your lives for each other. Together, you made a little, miraculous family. It's Cosima's decision to marry me or not, but I am here to ask the three of you for permission to join that family."

 

No one speaks immediately. It's Helena that breaks the silence, speaking up for the first time. "You want to be sestra?"

 

Delphine laughs, just a little, but nods sincerely. "Yes. Very much."

 

"Well, far as I'm concerned, you're already part of the family, mate."

 

This confession from Sarah leaves Delphine speechless. "Yeah... I wasn't too keen on the whole DYAD spy thing," Sarah elaborates, "but... I saw Cosima, the night that Evie Cho bitch told her you were dead. I didn't think she was gonna come back from that, honestly. You're family to her, so that means you're family to us, too."

 

Delphine's eyes mist up, both at the reminder of what Cosima had been put through during her absence, and at one of the most heartfelt things Sarah has ever said to her. " _Thank you._ "

 

"It looks like our family won't be so little for very long, will it?" Alison pipes up. 

 

This leaves Helena the last one to voice her opinion. 

 

The wild haired woman stands, coming to stand at close to Delphine has her pregnant belly will allow. "You make my science sestra happy, yes?"

 

It takes some effort, but Delphine manages to maintain her composure. "I hope so."

 

"Good. Because if you make my sestra cry, I will skin you like lamb." 

 

The casualness of her voice, along with the woman's prior history, leaves Delphine with no doubt of Helena's ability to make good on her threat. 

 

"Okay, killer," Sarah calls out, much to Delphine's relief. "Stand down."

 

Helena starts to back away, snaps back after a few steps, letting out a snarl that almost makes Delphine fall backwards.

 

Both of the twins laugh at her reaction, and Sarah stands to clap Delphine on the shoulder. "Think that was just her way of welcoming you to the family, sis."

 

It will take time for Delphine to get used to the utter  _ridiculousness_ she has managed to find herself in, but when Sarah wraps her in a tentative hug, joined immediately (and much more enthusiastically) by Helena, and finally Alison as well, she knows she would not change a thing about it. She has found her home.

 

She has found her family.

 

* * *

  

Gemma storms into the house ahead of her parents, dropping her soccer equipment at the entrance and stomping upstairs.

 

"She'll be fine," Alison sighs, "she just needs to learn to lose with grace... oh  _good heavens!_ "

 

Their dining room table has been completely disseminated, splinted pieces of mahogany scattered across the hardwood floor like picked over animal bones. Alison takes three deep breaths, trying - and failing - to calm herself. 

 

"Helena!"

 

"Down here, sestra Alison!" Helena's voice is cheery - and, by the sound of it, speaking through a mouthful of nails - as if she hadn't just taken the life of an innocent and expensive piece of furniture.

 

Alison flies down the stairs, seeing that the basement has been transformed into Helena's woodshop. She hadn't even had the decency to use the _actual_ woodshop out in the garage. She'll be vacuuming sawdust out of her carpet for weeks....

 

Helena, however, beams with pride. "I have made crib."

 

It's a good thing Helena said as much - the horror movie prop in front of them looks nothing like a conventional cradle, and has a few dozen too many nails sticking out of it at all angles. It also seems that Helena ran out of wood halfway through, and had to skip any frills - like bars. 

 

"For my babies." Helena clarifies, as if misunderstanding is the reason for Alison's dumbfound expression. 

 

In reality, Alison is just trying to decide if she should have Donnie drag this thing to the backyard and burn it, or if it's bad enough to warrant entombment under the floor of the garage. 

 

* * *

 

 

Cosima groans at her laptop, slamming it shut. That's what it gets for failing her like this, being the one to deliver the message of yet another application window gone by. It'll be at least a year before she can get into another PhD program, if a university decides to be charitable and take in a non-citizen with a spotty education history at all. 

 

"You could get a job in the private sector now, you know," Delphine offers. Cosima knows that she's trying to make her feel better, but those are  _not_ the words she needs to hear right now. "It's not out of your reach. You have lab experience, excellent references, you've published numerous papers... you are a respected name in the field of gene therapy."

 

"Yeah, and I'd still get laughed out of any lab as soon as they found out I only have a master's," Cosima sighs. "Besides, I don't want to make a career out of just genetics. I've had more than enough of that."

 

Delphine's hand rubs at her shoulder, easing through the tension building in her muscles. "You are the finest scientist I have ever known. And I'm not just saying that because you are my girlfriend."

 

"I  _want_ my doctorate. I didn't spend a decade in college to just... not get it." All those hours spent studying, sleepless nights, those horrible moments when she had been gripped by the certain feeling that the world was literally going to end and it was going to be her fault for getting a B in Organometallic Chemistry... the only thing that had gotten her through them was reminding herself that she was going to be Dr. Niehaus one day. 

 

"And you will _,_ " Delphine promises her. "But until then, you have to remember that your worth as a scientist is not tied to it."

 

Cosima grumbles, "Yeah, says the one who got her PhD _and_ MD when she was, like, 25."

 

"I was 27," it's a poor consolation, but the only one Delphine has to offer.

 

Cosima stands, shaking Delphine's hand off her shoulder in the process, silently going to put her laptop away. 

 

* * *

 

 

Kira sprints at full speed to answer the door. 

 

For a second, Sarah has the urge to shout at her, tell her not to open the door by herself. Not when they could never know who was going to be on the other side. Almost reaches for a gun she doesn't carry any more....

 

"Daddy!" Kira shrikes, throwing herself into the bearded man's arms. 

 

Of course. It's over. They aren't in danger any more.

 

It's scary, how easy it is for her to forget that.

 

"Hey, kiddo! Ready for movie night?" 

 

Kira is already talking his ear off, telling him all about her day at school and what she did when she got home. How Sarah had said a bad word when she burned herself making dinner. She gets to talk to her father every night now, on the phone if nothing else, but the little girl never runs out of things to say. 

 

"Monkey, why don't you get the Netflix set up, eh? Start looking for a movie you wanna watch."

 

Kira complies, just distracted enough for Sarah and Cal to have a brief, private moment. 

 

"All good here?" Cal asks, wrapping an arm around Sarah's waist. 

 

"Same as always," Sarah smiles. "Your end?"

 

Cal returns the grin, happiness shining through his eyes. "Better now."

 

Sarah wants to tease him for being such a sap, but it's been a week since she's seen him last, and sometimes, sappiness is exactly what she needs. So, instead, she stands on the tips of her toes, bridging the height difference to press her lips to his. 

 

"Ewwwww!" Kira calls from the couch. 

 

They break apart, resting their foreheads together for just a moment before simultaneously turning to their daughter. 

 

These were the moments she'd fought for. It may be hard to believe that they've finally reached this point, a point where they could breathe, relax, be together. Out of constant fear. But goddamn it, they'd made it. And they'd earned it. 

 

Sarah intends to fully enjoy them.


End file.
